Monty Bennett’s name will not appear on the ballot for the Tarrant Regional Water District board of directors yet he remains a powerful backstage player whose influence could shape the direction of the district’s business for years to come.

Chris Brassard and Omar Diaz had apartments in mind when they built a 12-unit complex on May Street just south of West Magnolia Avenue on Fort Worth’s Near Southside. Then their leasing agent, Will Northern of Northern Realty Group, suggested they consider selling the units as condominiums.

Weir Oil & Gas and the Rolls-Royce Power Systems company MTU have signed an agreement to develop a power system specifically engineered for hydraulic fracturing, the leading process used in oil and natural gas drilling.

“Our teams are working to develop fully integrated purpose-built power systems for fracking,” said Steve Noon, Weir’s divisional managing director, commenting in a news release.

“It is something the industry has asked for and we are determined to deliver,” Noon said.

The power system will be used for hydraulic fracking operations during the well completion stage of shale oil and gas projects.

The agreement was announced on Wednesday May 7 at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, with the fully integrated power system expected to be available to customers in mid-2015.

The agreement outlines the companies’ plans to work together in addressing market need for more reliable and continuous duty equipment. A team of engineers is concentrating on optimizing the interface of the three most critical components – the engine, transmission and fracturing pump – to truly work as one system. Further, the complete packaged power system will utilize smart controls that provide conditioned monitoring and optimized performance for the operator.

Dr. Michael Haidinger, chief sales officer of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, said both companies have a long history of producing and supporting reliable and safe products specifically for use in harsh fracturing environments.

“Together, we are taking a completely integrated approach to designing a pumping power system that addresses the challenges faced by frack site operators,” Haidinger said.

Weir Oil & Gas, a division of The Weir Group PLC, supplies pressure-pumping equipment to the North American upstream oil and gas market. It also provides products and service solutions to oil and gas customers in production, transportation, refining and related industries.

MTU, a brand of Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG, manufacturers high-speed engines and propulsion systems provide power for marine, rail, power generation, oil and gas, agriculture, mining, construction and industrial, and defense applications.